Potable water supply distruption

Residents of Khak Afghan district in Afghanistan’s southern Zabul Province say they are facing an acute shortage of clean drinking water, forcing them to walk for hours each day just to collect a few liters.
The water crisis has become one of the most pressing challenges in the region, where climate change and years of drought have depleted both underground water reserves and agricultural irrigation sources.
“There is only one functioning water tap in our area,” said Kamaluddin, a local resident. “We have to walk several kilometers just to get water. It used to be better—there were several taps—but now only one remains.”
The lack of access to water is now as serious a concern as food insecurity for many families in the district. Residents say their pleas for assistance have gone unheard.
“We’re forced to carry water in barrels from lower areas up to the hills,” said Attaullah, another resident. “It’s a very difficult task. We’re barely able to get enough drinking water, and no institution has helped us.”
Muflehullah, also a resident, echoed the concern: “Our biggest problem is water. Getting drinking water is a daily struggle.”
Afghanistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with increasingly frequent droughts and rising temperatures exacerbating existing water scarcity across much of the country. In rural districts like Khak Afghan, the lack of water has not only crippled agriculture but also driven internal displacement, as families are forced to leave their land in search of better conditions.
Residents are calling on relevant institutions and aid organizations to take urgent action before the crisis deepens further.